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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (September โ December 2022)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 4rd quarter of this year that Iโm too lazy to do a full review.
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RELEASE BLITZ: Leo On Fire by Patricia Logan (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Real Hazard by Elle Keaton
West Coast Forensics: Real Hazard by Elle Keaton
They’re not looking for love, but it catches them anyway. Can two very different men find common ground and claim a future… together?
Foster
Things I love
โ my kid sister
โ the no-hope dogs I rehabilitate
โ my job as an EMT
โ and maybe my new friend Dutch.
But Dutch isnโt gay and physical attraction isnโt something I feel often. Are these feelings real, or am I just tired of being alone?
Dutch
This is all Hazelโs fault. Hazel the Hazard.
โ Hazel made me come to first grade safety day.
โ Hazel blurted outโloudlyโabout the beautiful fireman.
โ Hazel invited the beautiful fireman over for a party.
I swear Iโm not gay, but Foster Jennings is the most beautiful man Iโve ever met, outside and in.
Dutch Schumach is the single dad of a precocious daughter. He moved to Piedras wanting a better life for Hazel and himself. Things are shaping up, heโs landed a permanent job at Brooch Resort and Hazel has quit having nightmares that someone is going to steal her away.
Then everything goes sideways, Dutchโs past threatens his future and he doesnโt know where to turn.
Something is wrong, Dutch is pushing him away and wonโt tell Foster why.
When Hazel goes missing Dutch canโt hide anymore, he needs hisโฆ Foster to help him get Hazel back.
#Demisexual #BiAwakening #SingleDad #FindingFamily
Book four in the West Coast Forensics series, can be read as a standalone but may be more fully enjoyed if you start with Real Trouble.
Real Hazard is Piedras Island at its most charming and my favorite West Coast Forensics installment so far.
I’ve been a fan of WCF and its related series, so at this point, everyone feels like old friends. Foster Jennings was introduced in earlier books. The EMT/firefighter/dog trainer is fondly referred to as an angel, a beautiful man inside and out. He not only saves humans but helps dogs too. Foster’s world revolves around his younger sister whom he raised, the uber-confident Becca, determined to spread her wings, protective brothers and wheelchairs notwithstanding.
Dutch Schumach is the cook assisting his friend, the chef, Danylo Peters, at the island’s landmark hotel. He’s a single dad to a precocious 8-year-old, Hazel, who has her dad wrapped around her little pinkie. Dutch has a dark past he’s running away from to keep his daughter safe.
Hazel the Hazard keeps her lonely dad’s life exciting through clever antics. The latest of which is befriending the beautiful fireman and feeding him pie. Afterall, her teacher said, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
The story celebrates the joys and the challenges of solo parents. Fatherhood is the theme, and this extends to Dutch’s parentage at the latter part. Hazel both amused me and reminded me why I want nothing to do with kids.
The plot differs from the previous books, which were mystery-centric and heavily involved the WCF people. This time, it was more of a contemporary romance with the requisite meet-cute, lots of fluffy moments, minor external conflict to shake things up a little, and then the sweet HEA. There weren’t any big surprises, but I don’t think it was meant to be a roller-coaster. And hardly any private detectives showed up.
This was a more laidback slice-of-life chronicles of two friends who became lovers, a single dad’s refreshingly angst-free bisexual awakening, a parent coming to terms with their child leaving the nest, and hardworking men trying to catch a break. The vibe was cozy, comfortable, and domestic, with lots of heartwarming found family goodness. Add to that the adorable antics from canine friends, and it was cuteness overload!
Piedras Island might be an old haunt, it still has plenty of surprises. I loved where Elle Keaton took us this time. I missed the mystery, but Real Hazard certainly more than made up for it with its lovable characters, cozy domesticity, and lots and lots of feel-good magic!
Rating:
4.5 Stars โ perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bound 2 Be Together
Artist: Gamblers
Album: When We ExitP.S.
Check out the rest of West Coast Forensics and its related series , and fall in love with Piedras Island!
Veiled Intentions:
Conspiracy Theory
Long Shadow
Black Moon
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Death Growl by Layla Dorine (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: King’s Virtuous Son by Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory
The Kings of Men MC: King’s Virtuous Son – Ki Brightly & M.D. Gregory
The โInnocentโ Twin
Hunter Tanner is a prospect for the Kings of Men MC. The club president, King, shocked Hunter with the news that he is Hunterโs biological father. King was the only man who had ever kept Hunter safe, and heโd taken Kingโs attention the wrong wayโonly to be devastated to learn they were related. Now heโs pissed off. Hunterโs identical twin, Forrest, offers him a chance to get away from New Gothenburg, so Hunter takes a vacation to stay at the Exotic Virtue in New York City.The Irish Mobster
Jamie Shannon is a simple Irishman. He enjoys working, and sometimes killing, for the Killough Company, and he believes in going after anythingโor anyoneโhe wants. Jamie has long had his eye on a particular blond man who works at the Exotic Virtue, and an opportunity presents itself when he sees him looking down in the dumps next to the pool. Jamie doesnโt hesitate to swoop in and try to kiss him better.Two Blood-Spattered Worlds, One Heart
An explosive night with Jamie leads to a fight that sends Hunter racing back to New Gothenburg. Jamie doesnโt hesitate to follow his man. To get Hunter back, heโll have to navigate not only Kingโs temper when he shows up unannounced to talk to his upset son, but both Hunter and Jamie still have dangerous obligations. Is there any way they can truly be together, or were they doomed to only one hot night from the start?
I picked up Kings of Men MC because I was curious about MC romance. I’m not a fan of motorcycle clubs because I don’t find the typical biker image appealing. In Kings Of Men, most characters are cardboard cut-outs of large bearded tough guys who drink and fuck too much and probably have questionable hygiene. So, not my thing.
The only reason I chose this series is that it belongs in the same world as The Killough Company, a series I enjoyed. So far, most of my experience with the KOMMC books was meh, with some DNFs, except Book 1, King’s Killer.
King’s Virtuous Son is a standout and the best book in the series. It’s the 7th book and best read after Book 6, King’s Undercover Fed, and The Killough Company Book 2, The Professional. The rest of the KOMMC can be read in any order.
First, the main characters, Jamie Shannon and Hunter Tanner had fully fleshed-out personalities that I immediately liked. I also gave a big hoorah when it became apparent that their relationship was that of equals. For the majority of KOMMC, the power dynamics are mostly skewed towards the biker, the love interest relegated to the bitch seat so to speak. Jamie and Hunter switch! Always a bonus.
Hunter is the virgin twin of Forest Broussard, the MC in The Professional. Hunter has daddy issues because not only did King abandon them years ago, he didn’t even bother to tell him he was his father. And that he has a twin. King is an idiot!
Hunter’s a bit naรฏve and shy but brash enough to make some daring, if sometimes dumb decisions, and knows his way around guns. He’s always determined to earn his place, whether in an MC or the mob. No shortcuts, no sleeping his way to the top. Hunter was a quiet side character majority of the series, but when it’s his time to shine, he’s spectacular! Our boy’s pretty badass when he wants to.
Jamie’s quite the charmer! He is in charge of negotiations for the Killough Company. I felt like he was some sort of a gallant knight sweeping the virgin biker prince off his feet. If this were anime, he would be surrounded by sparkles. I adore him and his exquisitely soft touch and infinite patience in handling Hunter’s inexperience.
Theirs is my favorite first-time-sex scene because it perfectly captured the swirl of emotions, and that the virgin doesn’t always have to be the bottom. Compared to the other books where the connections don’t go far beyond the physical, Jamie and Hunter connections felt deeper and more convincing as they develop trust and partnership.
The family drama, crime fiction, and action suspense mesh fabulously well with the romance. They don’t feel like afterthoughts, like in other installments, but solid storylines that continue the overarching thread of the series in a way that kept me interested in the New Gothenburg/Killough Company world. I’m picking up the next book, that’s for sure!
King’s Virtuous Son is about a young man coming to terms with his family, his virginity, his life as a biker, his past mistakes, and his future at a crossroads. Part coming-of-age, part fairy tale, 100% biker badass, 100% Irish charm.
Rating:
4.5 Stars โ perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Ride
Artist: Clans
Album: Chapter Three
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You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
KING’S VIRTUOUS SON
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Spade’s Choice by L.A. Day (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Saint’s Song by Garrett Leigh (Giveaway)
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BOOK TOUR: Surge by Harley Wylde (Excerpt & Giveaway + Guest Post)
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BLOG TOUR: Priest by Amy Thorn & Raven Amor (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Priest by Amy Thorn & Raven Amor (Excerpt & Giveaway)